Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-10-07
A CHAMPION FRAUD.
Ell Paso Jsck's Thin Story OF
= Bat lie with Train Robbers
q al Odessa
RidicufeG.hz yssAengers and Train Hsuds.
How His Little Fable Failed of
Achieving its Object.
From Saturdays oct. y Daily

g. somewhat sensational dispatch about
alleged train robbers who were batfi d in
the attempt to ROB Texas and Pacific
train at Odessa, & small station S29 miles
west Of Fort Worth, two or taree morn
ings ego. II will be remembered that
according to the dispstch) the Villains
we're thwarted in the execution of their
designs by heroic brakeman, who re-
joiceG in the soubriquet OF
Ell PAsO JACK,
a gentleman who as monumental
romancer could, with e small degree Of
training, easily take a seat along with Eli
Perkins or J. Mulhatton. Jack, it will
be remembered claimed to have fired st
III robbers us they were in the act Of
boarding the platform OF the sleeping
eeAcb, and IS evidence Of his valorOus
eahduc: produced sloucl hat with q
ballet hole through it, and 6 mask, both
Fot which he relied on to back up his
story.
From Messrs. Henry Furmar, the well
known lawyer, and Henry Keller Of this
place, VINO were passengers on tie train
which this bold brakesIan protected, =
GAZETTE man learned the real facts in
the case-facts which instead Of givln;,
Fl Paso Jack the promotion he wAs
counting on VIII instead, doubt
less, get him the very prompt
bouncing that his conduct deserves. The
shots, some five or SIX, were rot heard
by any one on the train until It was ii
molten on It's way eastward. Then the
conductor had the train backed & hundred
yards or more, and there by the side of
the track lay the poor observation-disclosures
sblc? Yes, apparently, but the truth 8
he was playing very fine game OF pos
sum. He told how the robbers
HAD KNOCKED Hin
senselass, but how ne h.d put them 10
Il ght with mis- trusty six-sEo0te,s. He
secured Little confused, however, when
NJ. Furman, lawyer like, wanted 10 eX-
anime him 3 little, and utterly failed TO
tell how it was he managed to discharg e
MS pistols sitter the bandits had reduced
/ him to uncoasciCusnes SIS. Auather puZZ!ir Q
thing was that despite eli this roagu
| treatment El Paso Jack did not have
upon MIN the slightest scratch or hurt.
! Under these circumstances the opinion
soon became prevalent among 81 the
passengers and train men that the Who'll.
thing was put up jOb-put up by Jsck
himself in the hope that his bravery
would result in getting him train in
place of his present comparatively uN-
important job.
In regGrd to the hat erd mask the
former was additional evidence OF the
fraud. 1t was perforated with holes il
such a way that mad il been on any mali:
Ihead at the time the pGrforstion occurTeJ
the weare- would certainly have been :
dead man. Yet there was no corpse II
the vicinity of the spot where the trophies
were picked Up.
One of the bullets fred by Jscl crashe(
through the rear door of tie sleeper
which was the worst feature Of tie im
aginary battle, for it might have don;
some hurt. 4 miGute before the cOloEe(
! ported had locked ont OF that same door
and with the exception Of Jack, he SverTeC
thstsBobody else was in sight. Tie nigh
i wsssss clcar and bright, ard oblec.s coulc
easily be seen.
CITY MARSHAL FARMER
adds MS evidence TO the fictitious cnar
acgeF of the raid "TexGs has = Dad
/ enough name anyway" he said, a2d Il is
& shsme that bogus business like TIL:
und5e is should be attempted.
rave iast. esnss hack tom the west, spd
! sm prepared 70 state that e. Paao jack;
story OF fight with robbers g
/ Odessa was . freud concoGted b5
| himseH. He YVES ridicule(
by everybody Oh the cars for his sill,
effort st masking himself out a here
Defective Tigner, who went out 10 ilves
.tigste the matter, told me that it was :
scheme on the part OF the brakeman
sGd so did the roedmaster. TIE numhe
of snots fired tailed exactly with tn
number of empty chambers il
jacks revolvers, and there isn't
doubt but thai he fired ever,
shot heard. think it Hss as rldiculou
LAP attempt a. gloriicstion IS eve
Happened, but it utterly failed to psn on;